01Culture · DAY 1 IDEA
St 113, Boeng Keng Kang 3, Chamkar Morn
Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21 Prison)
A school converted into Cambodia's most important prison in 1975. More than 14,000 people were tortured here before being killed at the killing fields; only 8 prisoners made it out alive. The museum is easily accessible and a must-see for everyone interested in Cambodia's horrific history. The beautiful courtyard with palm trees makes for an unsettling contrast with the horrors remembered in the museum: concrete cells, skulls stacked in cabinets, implements of torture and disturbing photographs of people dying. For an introduction and further reading, try David Chandler's Voices from S-21 ().
Allow about 90 minutes · planning estimate
02Culture · DAY 1 IDEA
Sothearos Blvd
The Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda
The King of Cambodia still lives here, but much of the palace is open to the public. The manicured gardens are nearly as dazzling as the colorful glass tiles of the palace roof. The two magnificent pagodas in the Palace Grounds, the Silver Pagoda and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, are among the few public buildings in Phnom Penh really worth seeing. They were built in the 19th century with French technology and Cambodian design, and have survived the traumas of the 20th century amazingly well.
Allow about 90 minutes · planning estimate
03Culture · DAY 1 IDEA
St 13, Sangkat Chey Chumneas, Khan Daun Penh
The National Museum of Cambodia
Contains an excellent collection of art from Cambodia's "golden age" of Angkor, and a lovely courtyard at the centre. Other exhibits worth seeing include graceful statues of Hindu gods, ancient stelae (tablets) inscribed in Sanskrit and old Khmer, and artefacts from a prehistoric burial site. In the middle of the courtyard is the original statue of the "Leper King" (actually Yama, the Hindu god of death) from the terrace of the Leper King in Angkor Archaeological Park.
Allow about 90 minutes · planning estimate
04Culture · DAY 2 IDEA
Phnom Penh
Sisowath Quay
Phnom Penh is a bite-sized town, and it's easy to combine sightseeing, shopping, eating and drinking into a single walk through the city. The key to connecting the dots is the town's riverside promenade, Sisowath Quay, which runs along the west bank of the Tonle Sap River. Every morning, the Quay kicks off with a life-affirming exercise session to some interesting music. It's fronted by a large, long open space with manicured lawns, palm trees and open pathways, all re-done as part of a Japanese-funded project to upgrade the flood infrastructure along the river.
Allow about 90 minutes · planning estimate
05Culture · DAY 2 IDEA
Phnom Penh
The Killing Fields of Choeung Ek
This is where the Khmer Rouge killed many thousands of their victims during their four-year reign of terror. Today the site is marked by a Buddhist stupa packed full of over 8,000 human skulls. The sides are made of glass so the visitors can see them up close. There are also pits in the area where mass graves were unearthed. However, there is not much to see otherwise since all buildings and materials were removed shortly after the Khmer Rouge dictatorship.
Allow about 90 minutes · planning estimate
Reference material retrieved 2026-10-19. Suggested days and time allowances are editorial starting points. Check the linked visitor information for opening hours, access, and reservations.
